Life is a bit up and down for Jennifer Jones, at home and on the curling ice.

Questions about her future location — and subsequent curling future — still linger five months after she gave birth to her first child. Jones is from Winnipeg, but partner Brent Laing —who competes with Glenn Howard — lives north of Barrie, Ontario.

Both are committed to compete with their teams through the 2014 Olympic season, whereupon the home-base question will need to be decided.

“We haven’t even considered what’s going to happen after the trials,” Jones said. “We just decided not to think about it until after, and that’s the only decision that’s been made. We’ll maintain our residences and then we’ll determine what we want to do after that.”

A Jones arrival in Ontario would send the curling world into a tizzy. Despite strong depth in Manitoba, Jones has dominated that provincial women’s scene virtually every year she has competed. Ontario, meanwhile, already boasts a variety of veterans, like Sherry Middaugh, and young stars like Ottawa’s Rachel Homan.

Jones had an up-and-down Wednesday at The Players’ Championship at Mattamy Athletic Centre. First, her national finalists dispatched Middaugh by an 8-5 count. Later in the afternoon, Jones and Co. held an early 3-0 lead over Sweden’s Margaretha Sigfridsson but the bottom fell out.

The Swedes, who won world silver back in March, scored deuces in the fifth and seventh ends and then stole a 5-4 win after Jones ticked a guard on her final come-around attempt.

“They’re a great team, they make a ton of shots,” Jones said. “We didn’t quite make enough to beat them today.”

Jones also had an up-and-down national championship at Kingston in February. Her squad dominated the round-robin with a perfect 11-0 record — unprecedented in women’s curling — but lost twice to eventual champion Homan in the playoffs.

The Players’ is the last event of the long curling season.

“This is probably my favourite event to play in,” Jones said. “It’s not hard to get up for this and to play in old Maple Leaf Gardens is pretty cool.”

Jones is 1-1 heading into Thursday’s match against Silvana Tirinzoni. The Swiss champions split their Wednesday games with a 8-3 win over Edmonton’s Laura Crocker and an 8-6 loss to Middaugh.

On the men’s side, Brier champion and world silver medallist Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., opened his account with a taut 7-6 win over (southern) Ontario provincial finalist Joe Frans of Ajax.

The Jacobs foursome doesn’t play again until Thursday night when they face Toronto’s John Epping. Those two squads are fighting for the last direct berth into December’s Canadian Olympic trials, and the head-to-head battle might be the featured match on Sportsnet One (7:30 p.m.).

BALL BOY

Jeff Stoughton lead Mark Nichols was one of the 130 curlers in attendance at Monday night’s Blue Jays game, and he caught an errant fly ball.

It was only Nichols’ second time at the Rogers Centre and the second time he has snagged a souvenir.

“It’s kind of crazy,” said Nichols, who scored Olympic gold at third stone for Newfoundland and Labrador’s Brad Gushue back in 2006.

“I even went back the next night (Tuesday) but the streak came to an end.”

SCOTCH PEANUTS

Scotland’s Eve Muirhead won last month’s worlds in Latvia and can thank Canadian peanut butter for playing a role.

“We had a jar in the brush bag and it got demolished within the first few days,” said Muirhead, who is simply mad for the stuff.

“We do have peanut butter (in Scotland) but it’s just not the same,” Muirhead said. “Canada is the place to get peanut butter, and the rest of my team will attest to that. I just can’t get past my cupboards without having a scoop. With a spoon, from the jar.

“I went and bought four jars at Loblaws. There was a great selection.”

Jennifer Jones has her ups and downs

Life is a bit up and down for Jennifer Jones, at home and on the curling ice.

Questions about her future location — and subsequent curling future — still linger five months after she gave birth to her first child. Jones is from Winnipeg, but partner Brent Laing —who competes with Glenn Howard — lives north of Barrie, Ontario.

Both are committed to compete with their teams through the 2014 Olympic season, whereupon the home-base question will need to be decided.

“We haven’t even considered what’s going to happen after the trials,” Jones said. “We just decided not to think about it until after, and that’s the only decision that’s been made. We’ll maintain our residences and then we’ll determine what we want to do after that.”

A Jones arrival in Ontario would send the curling world into a tizzy. Despite strong depth in Manitoba, Jones has dominated that provincial women’s scene virtually every year she has competed. Ontario, meanwhile, already boasts a variety o